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Communication Program Review 2018-2019
Communication Program Review 2018-2019
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PROGRAM REVIEW 2018-19 3
COMMUNICATION 3 PROGRAM PROFILE 3 INTERNSHIP & PLACEMENT 5 GRADUATE PLACEMENT DATA 6 EMPLOYMENT DATA 8 FACULTY & RESOURCES 12 ASSESSMENT PLANNING 16 ASSESSMENT DATA 18 EXTERNAL REVIEW 20 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 30 ACADEMIC COUNCIL REVIEW 32
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Program Review 2018-19 Communication Program Profile History Start with the history of the program at WWU. Discuss relevant trends and issues dealing with the program and the institution. If a program has one or more concentrations, each concentration should be discussed separately. (300 words or less)
The communication program provides a broad-based foundation in communication studies, which supports every program on campus and contributes to much-sought-after communication skills in every workplace.
Five concentrations make up the program:
• Leadership concentration began in Fall 2011 when the speech concentration was cut due to lack of interest. Leadership was one of the two concentrations with the most student interest in the last five-year program. Since then, the business program has implemented a leadership concentration online, which may account for the drop in our numbers. EGS is dropping its leadership concentration, which will affect the number of students in our leadership classes, although some EGS majors were double majors with communication.
• Public relations remain a popular concentration. • Digital film currently has the most majors, which is due to the continued efforts of the film professor, who has built
interested and has increased the number of majors in the concentration. Film majors take courses that are centered around opportunities in the communication field, including advertising, documentary, narrative, public relations campaigns, etc.
• Media Journalism combined the journalism and broadcasting concentrations in 2014 to be more responsive to changes created by the changing media landscape. Currently, it has the smallest number of majors.
• Sports communication became a new concentration in Fall 2017, and it has grown consistently since then.
Program Mission Provide the mission of the program and describe how the program supports the university mission. Discuss the philosophy or purpose of your program, how the program relates to the mission, vision and goals of the University.
The communication program at William Woods University emphasizes a broad-based foundation in communication studies, complemented by a student-selected concentration in public relations, digital filmmaking, journalism, broadcasting or sport communication, to ensure that you are well-educated in all issues and practices of the field.
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Student Demographics
Incoming Freshmen Transfer Total
2017-2018 7 1 21
2016-2017 4 0 32
2015-2016 4 0 40
2014-2015 8 0 36
2013-2014 7 0 43
Concentrations Create a chart that provides the student enrollment in program concentrations. Make a column for each year and a row for each concentration for the identified academic years.
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018
Leadership 9 9* 6 6 1
Public Relations 21 19* 18 18 5
Digital Filmmaking 3 11* 7 7 6
Media Journalism 13 13 5
Sports Communication
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Journalism 5 11*
Speech Communication (Broadcasting)
1 3
*Many students have more than one concentration.
+The 2014-15 catalog begins a concentration that combined Journalism and Broadcasting into Media Journalism.
±The 2017-18 catalog begins a Sports Communication concentration.
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Program Demographic Data Upload the program page from the Institutional Research office program data for this program. Communication_Program_Demographics.pdf Reflection on Program Enrollment Data Clearly describe the approach of the program maintain or improve student retention and graduation rates. Does the program have an active plan on retention of current students? if so, specificy the details of the plan.
Enrollment has declined in proportion with the average decline of enrollment across the university. The COM faculty has been proactive in working with both the universities enrollment and marketing departments in an effort to improve both enrollment and retention. This includes creating new marketing materials for the program, meeting with those departments regularly to discuss the efforts being made.
Advising Please describe the advising load, including the average number of advisees for each faculty member within the program. What strategies do program faculty use to achieve successful degree completion and graduation success? How is advising managed by the program faculty?
The average advising load for communication faculty is eight (8). Two of us keep a paper copy of students' checklists to be checked against what's in Owlnet. All of us refer to course history for each student to double check classes advisees have taken/are taking. Advising is managed by the registrar's office; we advise whom we are told.
Internship & Placement
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018
Internship Placement
4 4 6 1
Internship Placements What placements outside of the university are used for internship/practicum/student teaching/clinical experience?
Learfield
Lincoln University Sports Information Department
Bell Media
Betz Jewlers
NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament
NCAA SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
Graduated Students within the Program for the identified years
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2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018
Graduated Students
16 8 10 13 8
Graduate Placement Data Employment in Field What types of positions are considered relevant to the “Field” of study with this program? Please define what it means for students to be employed ‘within the field’ of the professional discipline
Business and industry careers
Account Executive Hospitality Manager Paralegal
Advertising Manager Hotel Manager Personnel Specialist
Association Administrator Human Resources Admin. Presenter
Bank Officer Industrial/Labor Relations Print Production
Claims Adjuster/Examiner Insurance Agent/Broker Promotions Manager
Consumer Affairs Specialist Lawyer Public Information Officer
Corporate Comm. Director Legal Assistant Public Relations Specialist
Credit Manager Management Analyst Real Estate Agent/Broker
Customer Service Rep. Manager/Administrator Recreation Manager
Events Planner Market Research Analyst Recruiter
Fashion Merchandiser Media Manager Research Worker
Training & Dev. Specialist Stockbroker Service Representative
Travel Agent Technical Writer Special Event Coordinator
Restaurant Manager Telemarketing Specialist Speech Writer
Sales Representative Retail Manager
Communication and media careers
Actor Government Relations Photojournalist
Advertising Account Exec Graphic Artist Producer
Advertising Copywriter Greeting Card Writer Production Assistant
Broadcast Advertising Sales Lighting Technician Proofreader
Communications Lawyer Market Research Public Information Officer
Contestant Coordinator Media Buyer Public Relations Assistant
Copywriter Media Manager Publisher
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Director Narrator Radio/TV Announcer
Editorial Assistant News Writer/Editor Reporter/Journalist
Electronic Publications Photographer Sales Representative
Script Writer Telemarketer TV News Anchor
Sports Promoter Traffic Manager Video Programmer
Sportscaster TV Engineer Writer/Author
Social Media
Government and social services careers
Campaign Manager Government Advisor Minister/Priest/Rabbi
Community Action Director Health Services Administrator Museum Director
Consumer Advocate Human Resources Manager Negotiator
Counselor Interviewer Planning Director
Development Officer Lawyer Political Aide
Documentarian Legislative Aide Probation & Parole Officer
Foreign Service Officer Media Specialist Public Administrator
Recreation Coordinator Speech Writer Youth Worker
Social Services Admin Television Censor Reader
Social Worker Translator
Educational careers
Administrator Educational Tester Public Relations Officer
Audio/Visual Specialist Guidance Counselor Recruiter
Camp Counselor Teacher Events Coordinator
Development Officer Mediator Educational Consultant
Student Services Specialist Speech Pathologist Education Spokesperson
Instructional Program Designer
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Employment Data 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018
Employed within the Field
8 12 6
Employed outside the
Field
Graduate School
1 3 0
Unknown 1 2
Program Curriculum Curriculum: Rotation Review enrollment trends by course. Are there particular courses that are not meeting enrollment goals?
The data is inaccurate. For instance, two years of COM 316 Small Group Leadership are not shown and COM 373 Announcing & Reporting I is listed twice, with different numbers for each listing.
We recognized concentration-specific enrollments were low, so we revised the checklist to include more required courses and eliminated two three-hours courses from each each concentration. We reduced the number of prerequisites for upper-level courses. The new checklist will go into effect Fall 2019.
Curriculum: Delivery Mode Does online enrollment impact campus enrollment? Is there a notable difference in enrolment between online and campus classes, where one is regularly fuller than the other?
COM 101 Intro to Speech Communication and COM 220 Logic & Persuasion are the courses we offer online. Both affect enrollment onground. Both are offered online every semester, which affects the number of sections of COM 101 offered onground each semester and we had to change the rotation for COM 220 to every spring, rather than every semester.
Curriculum: Revision Explain any curricular revisions made since the lst Program Review. What prompted the changes to curriculum? Were the changes prompted by student learning and assessment data or personnel changes? Did the curriculum changes produce the desired outcomes?
We added Sports Communication concentration (effective Fall 2017) because of Dr. Cavaiani's interest in the subject. He has effectively worked with sports management to attract athletes to the concentration.
We changed course rotations and the checklists in response to lowercampus-wide and program enrollment. These changes will hopefully boost the number of students in each course.
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We renamed and changed the content of some film courses o be more responsive changes in the field. We renamed a leadership class and rewrote course descriptions to better reflect the courses.
We added COM 221 Contemporary Media Ethics as a general education class in response to the state of the media landscape and the rise of "fake news."
We added COM 3XX Sports Media to bolster the Sports Communication concentration.
COM 209 Argumentation & Debate was changed from a communication general education course to a critical thinking general education course.
Curriculum: Shared Curriculum List program courses that are required by other academic programs or that are cross-listed with other academic programs. How do these courses impact the program (ie: increased class size/need for faculty overloads to teach additional sections, ect? How often is the shared course offered? Has the rotation changed for shared classes?
Course offered Supported Programs
COM110 Beginning Media Writing Equine General Studies
Speech/Theatre Education
COM132 Digital Production Graphic Design
COM150 Survey of Production Techniques Equine General Studies
Graphic Design
COM190 Intro to Mass Media Speech/Theatre Education
COM224 Equine Production Equine General Studies
COM203 Interpersonal Communication Equine General Studies
Speech/Theatre Education
COM207 Radio Production Speech/Theatre Education
COM213 Gender Communication Equine General Studies
Equine Administration
COM 215 Small Group Leadership Equine General Studies
Equine Administration
COM 251 Oral Interpretation of Literature Speech/Theatre Education
COM 315 Feature Writing and Magazine Equine General Studies
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Speech/Theatre Education
COM320 Communication Theory Speech/Theatre Education
COM330 Communication Law Equine General Studies
Speech/Theatre Education
COM334 Leadership Communication Equine General Studies
COM337 Interactive Web Communication Equine General Studies
Graphic Design
Curriculum Enrollment Attach the Curriculum enrollment for all program courses. Communications_Course__Enrollment_Chart.pdf Program Checklist Attach the Program checklist from the most recent Academic Catalog COM_checklist_2018.pdf Communication_Checklist_2013_2014.pdf Course Description Upload program course descriptions from the most current Academic Catalog. Communication_Course_Descriptions.pdf Summary of Teaching Effectiveness This data is compiled by the Office of Institutional Research and is comprised of End of Course evaluation responses of students. The data is comprised of the responses from Q8 "creates an atmosphere for student learning", Q16 "sets high expectations for learning, and Q22 "instructor challenges me intellectually".
Couse Evaluation Summary:
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Sample:
COM N=238 67% Response Rate
This data is representative of the COM courses listed on the Program Checklist. Courses outside of the identified program that are part of the major are NOT included in this data.
Online course data is not included in this data as they use a different EOC tool. There is not an overlap on these questions between the OLC courses and the on-ground courses.
Faculty Response to Teaching Effectiveness How does this information impact faculty perceptions of classroom management and academic rigor? Will any changes be made resulting from this data? Are there other data available from Student Performance Review or alternative measures pertaining to academic success that can be used to discuss teaching effectiveness?
We are pleased to see that we are above the university average in rigor and atmosphere for student learning as we strive for these. We also match the university in setting high expectations for learning. We believe the addition of required courses in the program (effective Fall 2019) will continue to strengthen rigor and expectations.
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Faculty & Resources
Physical Facilities Physical Space/Resources Describe the physical facilities that are unique to your program, including specialized buildings, classroom space, labs, and built in equipment and how they impact student learning. (If none, put N/A)
We have several specialized spaces and equipment accessible to our students:
1. Video/Image editing lab for the film courses 2. Radio station and audio editing booth 3. Broadcast studio space for TV/News set and green screen work 4. Podcast set 5. An assortment of video production equipment, including tripods, microphones, lighting kits, tripods and other gear.
All are designed to give students as much hands-on, and professional experience as possible before entering the workforce.
Upgrades to Physical Space/Resources Changes/Upgrades that have been completed within the past 5 years, specifically for your program or are required because of your program along with any impacts to student learning.
Podcast studio
Upgraded tekboard in 148
New TV set
Soundproofed radio lab
Video lab computer upgrade
VMware in classrooms
new Blu-Ray and speaker system in 206
New cameras and gear including boom poles and tripods
Various upgrades and repairs to radio station equipment
Recommendations to Improve Resources Describe any desired changes/upgrades to facilities/resources and how the proposed changes would impact student learning.
More camera equipment and resources could always be used to provide students with more access, and could enhance teaching in the content creation-based coursework.
The radio station is still analog and could be upgraded to being totally digital.
Apple TVs in the classroom would allow for Mac users to seamlessly use their computers with the projectors in the classrooms, (currently using makeshift adapter systems)
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Technology Resources List current technology specific for the program. What technology is used on a regular basis? Are there any technology needs for the program, issues with technology that impact the classroom? Is there technology that would benefit the teaching in the classroom that the program would like to investigate? Library Resources: Insert the narrative from library staff pertaining to changes and recommendations to program specific library holdings.
IV. Analysis
Communications as a discipline taught at the undergraduate level requires primarily up-to-date library materials. A continued effort is made to acquire materials in both electronic and printed formats. All books, journal articles and non-print materials are available through Woods OneSearch. The Library subscribes to a comprehensive database, Academic Search Complete, which is available to all students, both traditional and online. The Library also subscribes to Communication and Mass Media Complete, which contains journals in communication, mass media, and other closely-related fields of study to create a research and reference resource of unprecedented scope and depth encompassing the breadth of the communication discipline.
The library staff acquires any resources that are not available in existing print and digital collections through interlibrary loan.
As in all other disciplines, WWU faculty and students have access to the resources available in MOBIUS member libraries, which includes the superb collections at the large research institutions in the state of Missouri, i.e., the four campuses of the University of Missouri, Washington University, Missouri State University and St. Louis University. Beginning in 2014, access to the resources of the academic, public and special libraries in Colorado and Wyoming became possible through Prospector, a resource sharing partner of MOBIUS. Prospector provides access to an
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additional 30 million books, journals, DVDs, CDs, videos and other materials, and includes the collections of the libraries at the campuses of the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, University of Denver, and the University of Wyoming. Resources selected from both MOBIUS and Prospector are delivered by courier, thereby reducing the delivery time.
Library Resources: Faculty response to the adequacy of library resources provided to the program?
Library resources meet the needs of the communication program.
Library Report Attach the complete library report that is provided from thedirecotr of the Library that details the available resources to students in the program of study. Communications.pdf Faculty and Staff Resources Faculty 1-list all full-time faculty in the program with highest degree, degree granting institution, years of full-time teaching experience WWU, and contractual course load. 2-List adjuncts who have taught within the last 3 years with the same qualifying information and which courses they have taught.
Melissa Alpers-Springer, M.A., Northwestern University
Anthony Cavaiani, Ph.D., Wayne State University, 5 years full-time at WWU, 12 credit hours/semester course load
Tony Weed, MFA, Academy of Art University
Faculty Curriculum Vitae Attach current Vitae for all full time Faculty Joe_Potter.pdf Anthony_Cavaiani.pdf Anthony_Weed.pdf Melissa_Alpers_Springer.pdf Adjunct Faculty Curriculum Vitae Attach current Vitae for all adjunct faculty in the program. Greg_Smith.pdf Stephen_Forsha.pdf Bob_Elliott.pdf David_Forster.pdf Douglas_Sanders.pdf Lacey_Sweeten.pdf Charles_Lockwood.pdf How many staff are designated to support the program? 1
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Staff Do you feel the program is adequately staffed in order to meet the goals of the program? Yes (selected) No Staff Are issues with staffing impacting student learning? Yes No (selected) Faculty Percentage of Courses Taught by Full-time vs. Part-time Please include a chart of the number of classes taught within the program that are taught by full time and part time faculty. Please include academic years Fall 2013 through Spring 2018 Term Full-time Adjuncts Total % FT Fall 2013 18 4 22 81.8% Spring 2014 14 4 18 77.7% Summer 2014
1 2 3 33.3%
Fall 2014 14 1 15 93.3% Spring 2015 18 4 22 81.8% Summer 2015
2 1 3 66.6%
Fall 2015 24 0 24 100% Spring 2016 19 1 20 95% Summer 2016
0 1 1 0%
Fall 2016 20 1 21 95.2% Spring 2017 21 3 24 87.5% Summer 2017
0 2 2 0%
Fall 2017 17 2 19 89.7% Spring 2018 16 2 18 88.8% Summer 2018
0 2 2 0%
Faculty Reflection on Teaching Load Distribution Please discuss the distribution of courses between full time and part time faculty. What impact if any does this have on students and/or the curriculum?
overloads
We do not currently have any part-time faculty teaching during the fall and spring semesters. Anthony has started teaching COM 101 OLC during fall and spring. Students are not impacted by part-time faculty during the fall and spring because no part-time faculty are teaching. Katie Belanchia teaches COM 101 during Freshman Advantage and Betsy Tutt teaches COM 101 OLC during the summer. Katie taught 2 sections of COM 101 during 2013-2015.
Recommendation on Personnel What recommendations to personnel (Faculty/Staff) do the program faculty recommend? What is the rationale for the
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recommendation?
We are happy with our personnel and do not have any recommendations at this time.
Financial Analysis of the Program Cost Per Major This number is from the Academic Dean Report on Program Prioritization. 5697.00 Financial Analysis by Program Discuss issues and implications of the program budget. – need more description here to allow for a review of the financial cost of the program. I would like to add a prompt for programs to also report on their program cost per credit hour provided, in many cases this will look totally different to the cost per major, but still provides an alternate route to view the financial cost of a program. Instructional Expenses Discussion of expenses related to instruction. i.e. Internship, clinical, practicums… Non-Instructional Expenses Expenses that are included in the budget but not part of the instructional aspect of the program, not all programs have this.
Assessment Planning University Objectives Use the Attached copy of the University Student Learning Outcomes and discuss the alignment of your program to these objectives. How do the courses in your program support and contribute to expanding students' knowledge?
The WWU COM courses support and contribute to expanding students' knowledget through the following ways:
A. Students examine communication theories and applying them to real life artifacts, scenarios, and case studies
B. Students use digital production skills and techniques to create original digital and media content
C. Students apply standards of ethical journalism to create original media content
D. Students apply persuasive skills to various speaking occassions.
E. Students verbally explain and write analytical essays demonstrating knowledge of the intersection of communication, legal reasoning, and freedom of speech.
Institutional_Learning_Outcomes.docx Program Outcomes Identifier Description WWU2016.1 Major Field Competence: Students will demonstrate excellence in an academic or professional discipline,
and engage in the process of academic discovery.
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Communication Core COM.1 Integrate theory into applied skills in a variety of communication settings. COM.2 Identify the impact and responsibilities associated with a variety of communication behaviors. COM.3 Critically evaluate messages through analytical approaches. COM.4 Use knowledge and information from the communication discipline to effectively communicate a persuasive
message. Additional Standards/Outcomes Identifier Description COM Sport.1 Demonstrate expertise in creating a detailed sports message COM Sport.2 Identify the various communicative practices associated with sports.
COM-Film.1 Create emotion through the use of lighting and camera techniques, and visual and audio imagery. COM-Film.2 Apply aesthetic concepts of digital motion picture production to directing, editing and cinematography.
COM-Lead.1 Demonstrate proficient analysis of leadership styles. COM-Lead.2 Explain major leadership theories as they apply to a variety of settings.
COM-Media.1 Develop mass communicated messages with accuracy and precision. COM-Media.2 Apply information gathering techniques.
COM-PR.1 Identify the relationship between the media and the business world. COM-PR.2 Identify key strategies in developing and maintaining the public image of a business.
Program Assessment Matrix Please insert a chart that shows the matrix for your program assessment plan/report. CORE OBJECTIVES COM101 COM1501 COM190 COM320 COM330 COM499 Integrate Theory into applied skills in a variety of communication settings
I I I A M M
Identify the impact and responsibilities associated with a variety of communication behaviors.
I I I M A M
Critically evaluate messages through analytical approaches.
I I I M A M
Use knowledge and information from the communication discipline to effectively communicate a persuasive message.
I I I M M A
MEDIA JOURNALISM COM110 COM231 ART256 COM415 COM335 COM337 COM373
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Develop mass communicated messages with accuracy and precision
I I I M M R A
Apply information gathering techniques A I I M M R R DIGITAL FILMMAKING CIM231 COM210 COM311 COM312 COM327 COM332 COM432 Create emotion through the use of lighting and camera techniques, and visual and audio imagery
I I A I M M M
Apply aesthetic concepts of digital motion picture production to directing, editing, and cinematography
I I R I M M A
LEADERSHIP COM203 COM213 COM316 COM221 COM434 COM351 COM421 Demonstrate proficient analysis of leadership styles
I I A I I M
Explain major leadership theories as they apply to a variety of settings.
I I R I A I M
PUBLIC RELATIONS COM110 COM316 ART256 BUS321 BUS332 COM337 BUS428 Identify the relationship between the media and the business world.
I I I I M R A
Identify key strategies in developing and maintaining the public image of a business.
I I I I M A M
Assessment Data Annual Assessment Report 2017-2018 Communication_Annual_Assessment_2017_2018.pdf Annual Assessment Report 2016-2017 Communication_Annual_Assessment_2016_2017.pdf Annual Assessment Report 2015-2016 Communication_Annual_Assessment_2015_2016.pdf Annual Assessment Report 2014-2015
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Communication_Annual_Assessment_2014_2015.pdf Annual Assessment Report 2013-2014 Communication_Annual_Assessment_2013_2014.pdf Snapshot on Assessment (5-year) Please refer back to the program Annual Assessment report and create a graph showing a 5-year trend on assessment data for your program objectives. This should show a quick view of how programs are meeting or not meeting set benchmarks from student assessment. Each objective should have its own graph in order to keep it organized and easy to track. Each graph should have a short narrative explaining what is happening with the data and what implications that has on the program and student learning.
Communication students have demonstrated a mastery in critically evaluating messages through analytical approaches (obj. 3) and using knowledge and information from the communication discipline to effectively communicate a persuasive message (obj. 4). Data shows that students excel in these skills. The data also show that students can effectively integrate theory into applied skills in a variety of communication settings (obj. 1), although they do not master it as efficiently as the evaluating messages (obj. 3) and creating persuasive message (obj. 4). Students also effectively identify the impact and responsibilities associated with a variety of communication behaviors (obj. 2), but they do not master it as well as objectives three and four.
Communication faculty are aware of these trends and have integrated other forms of assessment into their classes to help students master objectives one and two, while continuing to reinforce objectives three and four. Communication faculty also reworked core course offerings, including more required classes in digital production, persuasion, and media journalism, to help all concentrations master the objectives upon completion of the program.
Snapshot on Assessment If the program already has a document with the charts created, then that document can be uploaded here for the purposes of this report.
Analysis on Assessment What is the assessment process for the program overall? What general activities are used to collect assessment
0%20%40%60%80%
100%120%
13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18
Snapshot on Assessment 5-Year Communication Program 13-18
COM 1 COM 2 COM 3 COM 4
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information? Are all faculty involved in the assessment process?
We collect data from coursework and outside assessment (panelists during student performance assessment days). These include final projects, papers, case studies, final exams, and presentations. All faculty are involved in the assessment process.
External Review Your role as an outside reviewer is to verify the information provided by the on-campus program review team. Your evaluation helps identify the program's strengths and recommend ways to address areas of concern. The following guide is intended to facilitate your work as a reviewer. The questions provide a quality rating of Exemplary, Adequate, Needs Improvement, Not Evidenced. Please provide a justification for your rating in the section below the question. Use as much space as necessary for your response. At the conclusion of the evaluation, please provide a summary that addresses overall aspects of the program. 1.1 History of the program is succinct, but detailed. (-300 words) Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
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Assessment reports from the past five years ask questions that provide the necessary background to understand the program. Responses to these questions are clear and succinct. Additionally, supplements are provided when they can highlight particular strengths and important characteristics of the program, such as the portfolio review document included with the 2013-14 assessment.
1.2 Program's purpose/mission is clear, including relationship to the university's mission statement. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced. Then please justify your rating in the below section.
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The program's mission is clearly stated. At the same time, it seems to be more intuitive than unique to the school's mission. That the program educates in all relevant issues and practices is important to note, but the university seems to strongly embrace the notion of career preparation. The program's mission might be amended to more explicitly reflect this same outcome.
1.3 Clearly describes the approach to maintain or improve student retention and graduation rates. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced. Then please justify your rating in the below section.
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The program clearly promotes student retention and successful degree completion through both experiential learning that retains students and offers application and high impact learning. Their portfolio review is also an exceptional strategy for monitoring student progress and offering meaningful feedback as they move through the degree program. These are not overtly identified as strategies for retention and graduation. An approach for achieving these outcomes could be more clearly articulated in a way that sets retention/graduation as a goal. (Clearly it is a goal, but being intentional in identifying it as a goal is important.)
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1.4 Program has clearly defined strategies for retention and graduation rates of students. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced. Then please justify your rating in the below section.
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My explanation for this rating is the same as what is provided in 1.3. My one additional observation is that the program might benefit from marketing materials. Their current AIS assessment report alludes to working with the university to develop these materials, but my review of the website reveals minimal student testimony and little to highlight the dynamism of the program and its activities. A face-to-face introduction to these activities and the faculty is persuasive, but any orientation through marketing platforms that I see falls short of promoting the strength of the program. At the same time, these faculty are clearly stretched to their limits with teaching and service. I would encourage the university to intensify its efforts, at the university level with the input of the faculty, to promote the uniqueness of the program.
1.5 Program advising loads are appropriately delegated throughout the program. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced. Then please justify your rating in the below section.
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With 24 students currently enrolled in the program, the advising seems to be perfectly balanced.
1.6 Program has clearly articulated advising processes followed by all faculty within the program. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced. Then please justify your rating in the below section.
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The program has clearly articulated procedures for maintaining records and making those records accessible to all faculty within the department. Some student feedback suggested that faculty are not always familiar with their career goals, and that students are not always confident of course scheduling sequences that might allow for more student input and planning. My suggestion is a course sequence and degree plan that identifies when courses are offered and when, ideally, students should take core, general education, and elective courses. Additionally, creating advising resources that include timelines and links for meeting deadlines, accessing university resources, and fulfilling requirements for the department and university (e.g.: petitioning to graduate, pursuing an internship, signing up for portfolio reviews, etc.) would facilitate student autonomy in the advising process, and reflect a more engaged advising relationship.
1.7 Comprehensive accounting of graduates in internship placements. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
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Data provided by the department is certainly sufficient to demonstrate numbers of internship placements. Additional data that illustrates ratings of students by on-site supervisors and other outcomes of the internship experience might offer more insight into the quality of the experience and its contribution to the program's overall curriculum beyond tracking numbers of internships.
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1.8 Provides detailed description of possible employment positions for graduated students. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
The department does a good job of tracking the number of graduates employed in each annual assessment report. Also strong is the range of areas and positions for this employment. The qualifier "detailed" in this question is not really fulfilled, although I am not certain what other information could be provided by the department. There could be tracking of graduates' employment by emphasis area.
1.9 Post-Graduation data is complete and provides a picture of where students go after graduation. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
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This seems to be well-explained with the statistics and identification of areas in which students find employment after graduation.
2.1 Course Rotation is followed in the way courses are offered with minimal tutorial/independent study courses. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
0
I indicate the 0 not to suggest there is not sufficient reflection regarding course rotation. I was not able to locate data that speaks to tutorial and independent study courses. In my face-to-face visits with students and faculty, I did learn of internships and senior projects that are completed largely on an independent study-type basis; this seems perfectly justified and necessary given those kinds of experiences. The 0 should not reflect a concern--only lack of data to draw a specific conclusion.
2.2 Reflection on course offerings and enrollment of courses, rotation, and demand is complete. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
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The most recent assessment report, along with information learned during my campus visit, leads me to conclude that reflection on course offerings and rotations is strong. Changes in course rotations and offerings for 2019 reflect data and reflection that considers course enrollments, changes in numbers of majors, and the need to enroll sufficient numbers of students in courses. The department demonstrates a strategy that includes logical changes and a vision for how these changes will improve enrollment numbers while serving the needs of their majors.
2.3 Course offerings appear appropriate for the needs of the program.
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Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
The course offerings are very strong, particularly given the small faculty and diversity of concentrations. I like that students take a core; this helps establish a curricular and career-preparation identity that is shared by all students. It also helps shape content for coursework specific to concentrations. While I think the core is strong, I question the absence of an ethics course (perhaps it is folded into the law course) and an interpersonal class. I like that a production course is included in the core, but wonder if COM 150 is sufficient. I question the applicability of COM 231 for all majors. For the sports concentration, I would suggest an analytics course, or at least content folded into an existing course. Additionally, an announcing course would expand the training of graduates in sports journalism beyond print; COM 332 could be dropped from the emphasis to allow for the announcing course.
I do think the status quo is strong. These are courses and content areas that I believe to reflect current research on what employers seek in their graduates, and my own experience in a School of Communications that has independent majors but tries to maintain a core identity through coursework and post-graduate preparatory experiences.
2.4 Issues involving curriculum are clearly explained. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
Assessment reports do a very nice job of offering historical perspective, reflections in response to changing enrollments, and strategies for promoting increases in enrollment and maintaining curricula that is closely tied to program learning outcomes. I have a strong sense of the decision-making process through reading reports. Those impressions were confirmed during the discussions I had as part of my campus visit.
2.5 Discussion on curriculum changes based on assessment are detailed and complete. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
As expressed in 2.4, the faculty does a good job of both explaining and justifying changes in their core and how those changes have been informed by assessment reports. Decisions such as changes in emphasis areas and core requirements make good sense given data and reflections communicated in assessment reports over the past five years.
2.6 Teaching effectiveness summary within the program is detailed and faculty respond to successes and deficiencies within the evaluation. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
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3
Teaching effectiveness is well established, and reinforced through responses I received from student during my campus visit. The assessment reflection regarding rigor lacked context within the assessment report, but conversations with both students and faculty clarified the portfolio review process and senior project as two requirements that were perceived as rigorous, but both fair and effective. Faculty members communicated confidence that their curriculum is appropriately challenging; I agree.
2.7 Course descriptions are detailed and specific. They reflect the levels of rigor identified by Curriculum Committee in their descriptions (100-400 level) Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
Course descriptions do a good job of succinctly describing the nature of the course. In my review of syllabi for core courses, the descriptions and content are consistent. There is also a clear
3.1 Summarizes all physical equipment needs and supplies noting any deficiencies and the impact on student learning. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
The assessment reports and campus visit clearly outline the current state of equipment and needs that remain. While this reflection is adequate, it does not communicate realities that need to be addressed by the university. Students and faculty both shared how professors' personal equipment is often used to supplement William Woods equipment for classwork. While this might be acceptable for club or non-credit student projects, core curricula are dependent on equipment not provided by the university. My understanding is that recent equipment purchases have also been made with monies not originally allocated to the department. This situation is problematic, given that the production-based emphasis areas not only have the largest number of majors, but also service other programs on campus. It is ill-advised to perpetuate a dependence on private equipment for a coursework that is, arguably, among the most popular within the department.
Beyond equipment shortfalls, classroom computer access is insufficient for effective course instruction. Thin Client (uncertain of spelling) navigates through a complex set of connections before it is ready to use for instruction. One example was a power-point that required eight minutes to upload. Instructors are forced to be in their classrooms long before classes begin to have materials ready, or find other avenues to sharing content. Much of the content in communication courses is found on-line, or shared via technology. The department's ability to engage its students effectively is impeded by technology that does not reflect the fast-paced, advance nature of realities they are talking about in courses. This disconnect likely does damage to the William Woods brand as it is shared by students.
3.2 Summarizes the physical space available to the program. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
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2
A listing provides a clear picture of the teaching/learning spaces available to students. The assessment reports could further explain how sufficient these spaces are as support for departmental curricula. The campus visit included visits to the spaces used for production. Students expressed enthusiasm for the areas designated for radio and podcast recording. Other than classroom technology referenced in my response to 3.1, spaces seem to be sufficient, and prepared to handle any growth in the curriculum such as a sport announcing course.
3.3 Summarizes the technology equipment needs and supplies noting any deficiencies and the impact on student learning. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
Responses in 3.1 and 3.2 accurately express my rationale for this rating.
3.4 Provides summary analysis of library holdings, noting specifically how deficiencies, if any, affect student learning. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
0
There is no reference to library holdings, but conversations during the campus visit reinforced that no issues exist regarding library support.
3.5 Faculty qualifications and specific competencies are fully and accurately described. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
There is good detail regarding faculty qualifications. Beyond curriculum vitas, the assessment reports do an excellent job of connecting each faculty member with (1) courses taught, (2) roles played in student experiential learning, and (3) professional development and LEAD events. Being a small department with three full-time faculty members, this comprehensive integration of faculty qualifications and activity is important for the insight it provides to the teaching of its students. This is a highlight of the department's assessment reports.
3.6 Provides a sound rationale for current staffing and/or future recommendations related to student learning. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
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The department does a good job of walking through each course and both identifying who teaches the course and the role the course plays in the department's curriculum. The rationale for these staffing choices lacks detail, but the descriptive reporting is complete.
3.7 Provides rationale and recommendations to improve resources that would address such deficiencies and link to student learning. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
Assessment reports do not identify deficiencies. The campus visit does reflect an on-going challenge to provide necessary equipment for content delivery in production courses. Faculty in particular provided detailed explanations of deficiencies, as well as current strategies that compensate for the shortcomings. There were not suggestions for long-term solutions beyond committing a budget line for purchasing updated equipment in quantities sufficient to support enrollments in production courses. This should be a high priority for the immediate future.
3.8 Provides sound rationale on the financial aspects of the program. Reflects on the cost per major and fiscal needs of the program. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
There was little detail regarding financial aspects of the program within assessment reports. Discussions during my campus visit revealed equipment shortcomings that are referenced in other prompts within this section of my report. An additional concern I have emerging from discussions with administrators during my campus visit appears to be systemic and more challenging to overcome. Much of the department's high impact learning is co-curricular, just as are potential changes to strengthen experiential learning. My understanding is that monies can't be allocated as curricular-based line items for activities like forensics or other laboratory experiences. This policy makes is difficult to promote and grow programs because of the uncertainty of fulfilling expectations presented to potential students. My experience and literature on co-curricular, high-impact learning supports that these kinds of programs not only attract and retain students, but also actuate course content in ways that enhance learning. I think this is an urgent issue when considering ways to grow and improve the program.
4.1 Includes university learning outcomes and assessment measures, which are clearly articulated. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
University learning outcomes are clearly stated and cross-referencing to departmental courses is evident. This connection could be more clearly identified with additional explanation. The dynamic and immediate nature of much of the communication content provides for unique connections to institutional outcomes, particularly ethics and self-liberation. More detailed connection here might help illuminate further justifications for increased and improved resources. Other influential considerations here are the myriad connections with other university programs.
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4.2 Includes program learning outcomes and assessment, which are clearly explained. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
The assessment reports do a very good job of identifying program outcomes and assessments of those outcomes. Sample assignments and the individual course breakdowns provide strong clarity here.
4.3 Standards for performance and gaps in student learning are clearly identified with action plans for improvement if needed. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
There are few gaps in in student learning that are communicated in the assessment reports, nor identified in my campus visit. Courses in which shortcomings or concerns were present had clearly identified responses, such as amending assignments or changing the vehicles used for assessment. Other adaptations, such as changing core requirements and course sequencing for enrollment management, are clearly articulated; these action plans do not seem related to standards of performance.
4.4 The student learning objectives are appropriate for the specific discipline. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
3
The learning outcomes for communication are solid. Each is phrased with appropriate language that is both easily measurable and relevant to courses for which they are intended. There are also strong narratives and statistical support for the department's efforts to measure these outcomes.
4.5 Includes a longitudinal view of assessment for each program learning outcome. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
1
Assessment reports and interactions during my campus visit provide history and a vision for learning outcomes as a whole. Each outcome includes some suggestion of assessment results and responses, but this narrative could be more explicitly stated. The departmental-level assessment is strong, but as the prompt calls for a longitudinal view for each learning outcome, the assessment falls short of this level of detail. There is attention to this, and that attention provides important insight. It is difficult, however, to draw specific conclusions for each outcome based on the generalized report of these objectives.
4.6 Discussion on the assessment process over the 5-year span. Please rate the statement with: 3-Exemplary, 2-Adequate, 1-Needs Improvement, or 0-Not Evidenced and then justify your rating in the below section.
2
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The history of assessment is clearly outlined, with specific attention given to ways the department has adapted to each year's assessment report. This is somewhat disjointed and needs to be assembled through a reading of each report. At the same time, the data and narratives are available and point to clear conclusions.
External Reviewer Summary Statements ● What do you see as strengths for the program's?
1. The program's faculty and their integration of efforts are incredible. The emphasis areas fall well within the background and strengths of each faculty member. Given teaching loads, connections with other programs on campus, range of campus activities, and other university service, these faculty members are extended as far as they can be. At the same time, they do an impressive job of maintaining their unique disciplinary contributions while also coming together to shape a strong department with a well-defined core mission and curriculum.
2. The annual portfolio reviews and senior project are both very strong assessment vehicles. To assess students at three points in their careers before they complete a graduation capstone project is brilliant. The group approach to a senior capstone is unique. While I am still processing my final thoughts about it, I do like how it reinforces the collectiveness of the department's course work and student activities over the course of their years in the program. It also seems that the department is conscious of the need to hold each student accountable for meaningful contributions to the final product that are commensurate with a senior capstone project.
3. The program does a masterful job of providing impactful learning opportunities in the face of concerning equipment deficiencies and resource challenges. That these deficiencies exist is alarming, but that the department adapts as they do, and with a genuinely positive/student-centered attitude is a real strength.
4. The department appears to be a model for university cooperation and student/faculty relationships. The department's ethos was clear in my visits with administrators and with students.
5. The department's core and emphasis areas show excellent balance between adapting to a small faculty with limited resources and ability to teach a broad range of courses. and the directions of communication careers. The outcomes for the department's coursework measure what I believe to be skills and knowledge sets in demand. The department also clearly documents success in placing its students in a wide variety of positions, which reflects their success in preparing students.
● Does the program have components that distinguish it from other programs?
1. This program seems uniquely situated to impact a substantial portion of the university community. Examples here include, but are not limited to: expanding sports communication to include Sports Information Direction-like activities with the university's athletic program, providing forensics and media experiences for speech and theatre certification-seeking students; bridging curriculum with other programs to create rich depth to existing majors (nonverbal communication for the ASL program, leadership coursework for business, rhetorical study for English, etc.).
2. The department has several co-curricular extensions of the classroom that, if funded and encouraged, could provide significant visibility for recruiting efforts and meaningful high-impact learning for existing students. This includes, but is not limited to: film production, theatre, radio, forensics, sports broadcast and journalism, print journalism. These and other activities are direct extensions of existing courses.
3. The department's faculty represents a broad range of professional engagement, which is an important model for students and a context for celebrating diversity in professional activity for the campus. I know at my university we sometimes need to remind ourselves that professional development looks very different for different disciplines, and that such variety within a single university community represents rich learning potential for students. That potential is housed within this single department.
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● What areas need to be addressed and are the steps outlined in the program review adequately to address any areas of concern?
1. While expanding courses to general education breeds an increased workload in the form of course assessment, the department might be able to benefit from coding some of its courses for general education credit. Sports communication, for example, would be an ideal social science course. Attracting non-majors to introductory courses has the potential to boost enrollments, as well as recruit new majors. Presumably, students take general education courses because of an interest. If/When the course is a positive experience and is part of a major or minor, there is strong potential that students will change their degree plans.
2. Equipment needs are essential concerns. The university must realize that film courses and classroom instruction need sufficient equipment (quantity and quality) that allows instructors to assign relevant assignments and students to complete those assignments. To have such deficiencies in classes that speak about technology is a mixed message that paints the department and university in a position of not being what it teaches it should be.
3. Advising resources should be created that help outline four-year plans specific to emphasis areas, as well as predictable course sequencing that helps students know when courses are offered and when they should be taken.
4. The internship program seems very strong--and students speak highly of their experiences. The program should be standardized in terms of contact hours and additional professional development work (e.g.: resume writing, portfolio development, self-assessment and reflection exercises) to allow for accurate assessment of student experiences and more measurable outcomes to prepare students for success after graduation.
5. The department is doing a tremendous job offering high-impact experiences for its students. In my looking at the website and other marketing, this seems to be a well-kept secret. The university should increase its efforts to assist the department in promoting the success of its students, and the dynamic experience/opportunities they receive while at William Woods.in this department.
6. The university should further fund co-curricular programs. Students know things like forensics exist, but they question why so few students are involved. There should be some creativity collaboration to encourage more student involvement. These kinds of activities have infinite potential to both recruit and retain students. The current funding structure makes it hard for programs to grow with confidence that support will be long-term and that students will be able to afford to participate. Co-curricular activities are different from extra-curricular activities and should be acknowledged as such. One example is to not demand extensive student or faculty fundraising efforts for an activity that is given academic credit on most other campuses (forensics).
7. The department should pursue academic credit, repeatable, for practicums in areas like radio, forensics, sports broadcasting, theatre, etc. These areas include performance and academic work that is most impactful when repeated over the course of a student's college career.
● Should the program be expanded, maintained at its current size, reduced, or eliminated?
I feel very strongly that the program should be maintained, with expansions and changes as outlined in above narratives. This is a vital program at William Woods. In looking at the general education categories, for example, I don't see a department that touches more areas than this department. Our recently retired Dean of Students at Webster University often shared the metaphor of Velcro when he spoke of student retention and success. His point was that students need a connection, and those who find that connection "stick." He also noted that Velcro is often not in the classroom, or is in a classroom that has the immediacy of a dynamic instructor who becomes a mentor, or an experiential component. The communication department has tremendous Velcro, much of it underdeveloped. Enrollment numbers are low, but "seats" are in a healthier place. Given that enrollments are low across many disciplines and institutions, these numbers are not as alarming as they could be. The department has laid out a clear plan for adapting to enrollment changes. Much of their success appears to be in spite of shortcomings in resources that will enhance their ability to serve students.
This is a department in which I would love to teach. The collaboration of faculty, the combination of core curriculum and emphasis areas, and what is clearly university-wide respect frame the communication area at William Woods as one with rich potential that has a strong history on which to build.
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● Any additional thoughts, comments, or recommendations pertaining to the program?
This is a department in which I would love to teach. The collaboration of faculty, the combination of core curriculum and emphasis areas, and what is clearly university-wide respect frame the communication area at William Woods as one with rich potential that has a strong history on which to build.
Conclusions and Recommendations Program Response to the External Review Report Response Please respond to all scores of a "Needs Improvement" or "Not Evidenced" made by the reviewer. Please note in the text which question you are discussing and then proceed with the response. Be thorough in your response.
COM is electing to also respond to ratings of 2 (along with 1,0)
1.2 - Based on the recommendation from the reviewer we will amend the mission to state: The communication program at William Woods University emphasizes a broad-based foundation in communication studies, complemented by a student-selected concentration in public relations, digital filmmaking, journalism, leadership, or sport communication, to ensure that the students are well prepared for a career in the field of communication.
1.3 - We recognize how our efforts (indicated by the reviewer) are currently aiding in student retention, this could be an item that (as recommended) could be more clearly articulated in the report. There are several areas we could include statements addressing these in the program profile. We would like to see our retention rates vs the university average and others so we can be more informed when speaking about our overall retention. These efforts include: Meeting with majors about portfolio reviews, the portfolio reviews and awards, the film festival, and COM related clubs and organizations.
1.4 - We strongly agree with our reviewer that support from the university's marketing would be of great benefit. The website needs to be more receptive to changes. It continues to be problematic - we submit what we would like but it is either rejected, becomes something else, or is forgotten. We are unaware of current strategic efforts to market the program, and even knowing what our students hear and see before enrolling would be helpful.
1.6 - Course rotations are updated and available and on the website. Students are aware that this information exists and know where to find it, but we could provide some 4-year plan outlines. Each student's plan is unique it is important that the program remains flexible.
1.7 - We need to maintain better data regarding internships.
2.1 - The reviewer misunderstood what a tutorial means at WWU. Tutorials are taught in cases of low-enrollment, breakdowns in advising, or poor student planning, rotation changes. Independent studies are rare and usually a positive and under special circumstance. There may have been a misunderstanding in the explanation of how our senior seminar works - this is not an independent study, it operates as a student led course.
2.3 - We have two ethics courses, and ethics are discussed in nearly every other course. We have interpersonal communication, but it’s not on the checklist (it’s an elective). We are discussing the change to the sport communication concentration (swapping COM 373 for 332). COM 231 builds on 150 and prepares them for more advanced production courses in the future. We value students having production skills no matter their concentration and believe it’s a strength of our program. The analytics course is an interesting idea, we are open to the idea but at this time it would need to be adjuncted out.
3.1 - We agree
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3.4 - The layout in AIS is a bit confusing on this, the library holdings are uploaded, which leaves the "form" blank appearing as if there is no information on library holdings.
3.8 - We agree that the lack of institutional support for our program and associated organizations hinders the program. As stated previously the lack of marketing and visibility makes it even more difficult to grow the program.
4.5 - We can strengthen our longitudinal view of each outcome.
Areas to be addressed
1. We agree, but we need to look at the overall number of social science offerings and determine if there is a need. If so we will explore this option (Sport Com as a gen ed)
2. Yes. 3. 4-year plans could be offered - but predictability can be difficult due to low enrollment and individual
needs/circumstances of students. 4. Internships do have standardized contact hours and self-assessment and reflection. We exploring new (and more
frequent) ways to meet and work with students to encourage their portfolio and resume development. 5. Repeatable credit - we simply don't have the number of students. There has also been a recent trend of students not
pursuing courses outside of their major coursework, depleting enrollment in small 1 credit hour courses. Program Identified Strengths Discuss strengths of the program as they impact student learning.
Our faculty has a diverse range of expertise. We not only teach these strengths, but support one another. Students receive the same set of diverse skills. We work with faculty across campus and are interdisciplinary by nature.
Our graduates have had their education reinforced and strengthened throughout all four years of our program, and our unique approach to their portfolio reviews and senior projects. These also provide opportunities to apply their skills throughout their educational career.
Given the challenges our program faces we provide our students the opportunity to learn and engage with digital, print, oral, and scholarly media and applications. Including written work, presentations, exercises and projects.
We are always meeting and discussing with ways to improve our program.
Program Identified Challenges Discuss any challenges of the program as they impact student learning. What is the program doing to combat these challenges?
Low university enrollment. - We have adjusted our course offerings and rotation to meet the changing population.
Lack of visibility and marketing. - We try to meet with and engage with WWU marketing and admissions as much as possible.
We need to meet more often with students and continue to build a culture of cooperation and deeper investment in the program.
Action Plan What is the plan for the program moving forward. What anticipated changes will be implemented as a result of this report?
• Changing Sport Communication course (COM 373 for 332) Advise 332 as an elective • Explore Sport Com as a Social Science gen ed. • Altering portfolio reviews to include a mini-seminar during the second day instead of a case study. • Meet more often with COM students - Build COM Calendar
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• Do better with working on resume and portfolio development, and career exploration • Develop some tentative 4-year plan guides.
Academic Council Review Recommendation of Academic Council After thorough review of the provided program report and external review, it is the recommendation of the Academic Council: Accept Report as submitted, no further action. (selected) Accept Report with recommended changes Revisions requested and resubmit the report Program did not meet minimum standards and is placed on an improvement plan. Program Strengths There are many strengths to the current program. From the discussion on May 5th, the strengths of the Communication program were noted as: • Program faculty are always willing to collaborate and work with other majors to find new avenues of content. • Students are provided opportunities for authentic practice with their internship locations, we just need to showcase
that more. • Senior projects that are completed in the capstone course are strong and show the skills of the program students. • The Teaching Effectiveness chart was an obvious strength as it showed the level of success and commitment that
students perceive of the faculty in the program. • The snapshot on assessment was a clear and concise view of the program. It would be helpful to include the
benchmark to the chart so that it was clear when objectives were met and when they were not met. Program Weaknesses Some of the challenges that were discussed at the meeting are within the control of the faculty to change. Some are university wide, but noted here as they impact the ability of the program to deliver content effectively. • Technology resources in the classroom are a challenge and noted by both faculty and the external reviewer. The
need for technology that will play video without buffering and skipping is critical to the content of the program. • Equine General Studies redid their curriculum and removed several of the Communication courses out of the
program. The Communication program needs to determine how this will impact load and rotation and see if there are other avenues of student traffic into those courses.
• Promoting the positive and interesting thing that students are doing in the program as a way to bring in more students.
• The profession is multifaceted and constantly changing with society so staying ahead of the curve on the next need for media is a guessing game.
• Data inaccuracies make it difficult to gauge the success or challenges of programs and courses when the information is not available.
Recommendations Academic Council met on May 5thto discuss program reviews. The communication program was well written overall with a few areas needing more attention to provide additional context and depth to the detail provided. Simple changes within the narrative could have provided more exact numbers, i.e. the advising section. Several sections of the Program Review were designed to allow for the Annual Assessment information to feed into the longitudinal look into changes of the program.
The “Internship” section was light on content. The more specific and detailed the better it is for the program. This helps future faculty see the historical components of where students were going, as well as provides marketing a more accurate view of how to showcase program success.
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The report noted that it might need to look at the offerings on line and how they are impacting the on-ground course enrollment. Without more information on who is in the online courses, we don’t know if this is the case or not. More discussion needs to be had related to rotation and meeting the needs of the online students, as well as the on-ground program students.
The program needs to determine detailed strategies for retention and persistence of program students.
• In future reports, the Historical component should include the background of the program, the different iterations that have taken place of the curriculum and any major shifts in focus of the content
• More detail on the Internships where students are placed. • Alumni data is challenging but one of the components of the report that we need to strengthen. • Continue to seek out opportunities to collaborate with other programs. • Work with PR in the VP: Communications office to find avenues of additional promotion of the program.
